Self-aligning joint for engine exhausts



2 June 15, 194 8. G. SAGEN 2,443,272

SELF-ALIGNING JOINT FOR ENGINE EXHAUST Filed July 26, 1945 2 2 Sheets-Sheet l F/a-f lAWQf/Vff 6 mam I 2 By I 11 van tor (ma Walla; fim I June 15, 1948. L. G. SAGEN 2,443,272

SELF-ALIGNING JOINT FOR ENGINE EXHAUST Filed July 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor LAWRf/Vff. JAGZW WWW 1?. m

Patented June 15, 1948 Lawrence G; Sagen, Aiubnrm, Y1"

Application-July 26; 1945, Serial No. 607,201

The present invention relates tonew and useful improvements in joint. for exhaust. manifold system andlpart'icularly to joints 01: connections for use incmanifiiild' systems of aircraft engines.

C'onsid'erahle difiiculty has been experienced in providing-v asafe and efiective joint in the engine exhaust stacli connecting the cylinders of rad'ial. engines to an exhaust manifold-or collecti'r'i'g-ring arigid joint between the engine cylihders and" the collecting ring having been found impracticable and it is accordinglyanohject of the present inventionto provide a sel'f aligning joint in the exhaust; stack leading from the engine cylinder to the collecting ring. andrby means of which an easy and quick assembly anddisass'en'ihl'y-v of.'the exhaust system'is providedto thus expedite repairs andmaintenances A further object of. the invention is to provide a ball and socket joint in the exhaust stack leading from the engine cylinder together withnovelmeans/01: securing the ball. in its sockets adapted to absorb vihration between. the engine and the collecting ring and V. at the same time to provide an effective exhaust gas: seal at. the. joint.

A. still" fiurther. object is to provide a device of. this character of simple and pract'i'cal construction, which is efficient and reliable in. use, rela tively. inexpensive to manufacture. and otherwise well: adapted for the purposes for which the same isintendedr Other ohjects and. advantages reside in the details of construction. and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof,. wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1" is a side 'eleva'tionaiview ofthe joint.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially'on" the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation showing the wire connecting clamps at one side of the joint;

Figure 4' is a similar.- view showing the tightexiting screw for the connectin clamps at the other'side'of'the'joint.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in elevation Of one of the wire clamps.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational. view of" an" engine showing the self al'ig'ning joint between the cylinders and the collecting ring.

Figure 7 is a group respective view of the pair of rings forming the ball prior to their connection to each other, and

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the rings connected together to form the ball.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wheresection forming the stack are constructed with flared" semi-spherical or" concavo-convex sockets l and I2 with their edges slightly spaced apart from each other as in'dicat'edmore clearly in Figure. 2 of the drawings.

A pair-of tapering or concavo convex'rings i3 and M having rounded" peripheries are welded at their largeren'ds" to each other as indicated at t5" to provide a frustum'ofa ball 'l'topenat opposite ends or anopposite'lyt tapered spherical ring with'il'atparallel openends and adapted forconformably and snuglyfitting in the sockets l l' and 1'21 The'rings I3'and' M are relativelythin'walls ofuniform-icroswse'ction throughout so as to' rovide a joint of light weight.

The welding. I15 provides a circumierentially extending rib' on the outer surface-of the ball \vhichiis' positioned" between the adjacent ends of'tiie sockets H and" i2, the'edges of the'r'i-b being slightly spaced from the inner edges of the socket's to" providelimit'ed" movement between" the ed'gesof the socketsand'therib' IS on the bail for self-alignment of the pipe sections 9 and I'll ofv the exhaust stack 8;

The circumferential extendin rib I 5 on the ballpreventsworking: of the ball in the sockets in a" direction to parti'allyclo'se' the pipe sections 9" and l'lY'o'f' the stacks and thus prevent blocking ofth'e'" exhaust passage'and causing ba'ckpressure in the cylinder. 7

Sockets H and i2"are secured in" position on theball It" by means offai' pair ofwir'e' clamping member'sin the'form' of "split" rings I? of spring wire construction; eacli ofthe clamping" members beln'g'forme'di'of alength of spring wire crossed.

and" l'ooped' with aneye' or spring coil l8intermediate their" endsan'd b'entf outwardlyin opposite'di'rectionsrin semi circu'lar formation :toform. an" opemwitn eyes i9 at the ends thereof. The'pair or clampihgmembers arepositioned at oppostie sides of the sockets II and t2 with the eyes i8 of the clamps aligned to receive a bolt 20, tapered washers 2| being positioned on the bolt at the opposite sides of the eyes l8 as indicated at Figure 3 of the drawings.

The eyes l9 at the ends of the clamping members are also aligned by springing them together at the opposite side of the sockets II and I2 and are connected by a bolt 22 which serves to draw the eyes l9 toward each other to thus tightly clamp the spring wire clamping members I! at the opposite sides of the sockets in the manner as illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The clamping members thus provide a tight seal between the ball [6 and the sockets H and V I2 whereby to prevent escape of the exhaust gases through the joint.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyin drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of th invention the same is susceptibleto certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of theappended claims.

I claim: 7

1. A self-aligning joint iorthe exhaust stack of an engine and comprising a pair of pipe sections in end to end relation, sockets at the adjacent ends of the sections with the edges of the sockets spaced from each other, a ball of thin uniform cross-sectionseated in the sockets and open at opposite sides to provide a passage therethrough, .a circumferentially extending rib on the ball projecting between the spaced ends of the sockets to maintain the ball against rotation ina direction to close the passage, and means for connecting the sockets and ball in assembled relation comprisin a pair or connected resilient split rings. havin intermediate and end eyes disposed inopposed aligned positions and connections between said aligned eyes,

2. A self-aligning joint for the exhaust stack of an engine and comprising a pair of pipe sections in end to end relation, sockets at the adjacent ends of the sections with the inner edges of the sockets spaced from each other, a ball seated in the sockets and open at opposite sides to provide a passage therethrough, means carried by the ball and projecting peripherally between the spaced edges of the sockets in spaced relation to said edges to limit the relative angular movements of the pipe sections and sockets at their inner edges with respect to each other and the ball and maintain the ball against movement, in a direction to close the passage, and a pair of resilient wire clamps positioned at diametrically opposite sides of the sockets and connectedto each other in clamping engagement to secure the sockets and ball in assembled position.

3. A selfaligning joint for the exhaust stack of an engineand comprising a pair of pipe sections in. end to end relation, sockets at the adjacent ends of the sections with the edges of the socketsspaced from each other, a ball seated in the socketsand open at opposite sides to provide a passage therethrough, means carried by the ball and projecting between and in spaced relation to the spaced edges of the sockets to maintain the ball against movement in a direction to close the passage, a pair of split annular resilient wire clamps positioned at diametrically opposite sides of the sockets, eyes at the intermediate portions and at the ends of said clamps adapted for aligning, and bolts inserted in the aligned eyes to draw the clamps together on the sockets.

l. A self-aligning joint for the exhaust stack of an engine comprising a pair of pipe sections in end toend relation, semi-spherical sockets at the adjacent. ends of the sections with the edges of the sockets spaced from each other, a, pair of tapering concavo-convex rings joined to each other at their larger inner edges to form a ball open at opposite sides and adapted for seating in the sockets, the outer ends of the rings being larger than the pipe sections at their juncture with the sockets at their outer portions so as to lie outwardly of the bores of the pipe sections entirely and within the sockets in considerably spaced relation to the outer portions of the sockets, said joined edges of the rings being formed with an intermediate circumferentially extending rib on the ball projecting between andin" spaced relation to the spaced inner ends of the sockets to maintain the ball against rotation in a direction to close the stack, resilient split"rings edges of the sockets spaced from each other, a"

frustum of a ball seated in the sockets and" open at opposite sides to provide a passage therethrough, said ball comprising oppositely tapered rings having rounded peripheries and their inner ends larger than their outer ends and joined together, a projection on the ball at the joint positioned between the spaced ends of the sockets to maintain the ball against rotation in a direction to close the passage, a pair of connected resilient split rings engaged on the sockets at the juncture of the pipesections therewith and comprising split spring wire lengths crossed and looped to form an intermediate eye and bent outwardly in opposite directions in semi-circular formation to form an open ring with eyes at the ends thereof sprung together into alignment and means to connect the aligned intermediate and. end'eyes.

LAWRENCE G. SAGEN.

REFERENCES circle The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 693,367 Brooke Feb. 18, 19.02 969,422 Tanner et al Sept. 6, 1910 1,561,033 Spencer Nov. 10, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1 Germany Apr.'7, 193 5 

